Sloe gin. You’ve heard of it and you probably have an uncle that makes it every year but you’re not quite sure about it yourself.
Today we’re going to tell you why you should definitely be making sloe gin this year. In the process we’ll fight the almost overwhelming urge to write ‘sloe’ puns the whole way through.
Essentially sloe gin is a liqueur made from infusing sloe berries – which are actually called drupes – in gin. Sounds pretty simple doesn’t? That’s because it is.
Making sloe gin is a process that anyone can do and the result is almost always epic. Make it once and there’s a good chance that it’ll become your thing.
You know what we’re talking about here – birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries and every other occasion will suddenly become a viable reason for you to make another batch of your “world famous” sloe gin. Everyone will love it and it’s all down to the way you make it… obviously.
So, before you can think about making your sloe gin, you have to find your sloe drupes. But where? And when?
Well, from year to year it changes depending on the harshness of the seasons but the general rule of thumb is to get foraging for those wonderful little berries after the first frost – so any time from September onwards is normally fair game… although with global warming, who knows!?
Where to find them? The sloe berry is the fruit of the blackthorn bush. At one time you could find them in hedgerows the length and breadth of the UK.
They’re not quite as common now but we’ve included a couple of photos so you know what you’re looking for.
When you’re on the hunt for your sloe berries, a word of warning. The blackthorn bush is a devilishly prickly character so take your time and be careful. We don’t want to be responsible for any foraging mishaps.
The observant amongst you will have noticed that we’re a wee bit early to start foraging now for them but it’s good to be prepared, and all that.
But what if all this sloe gin talk has got your juices flowing (okay, we couldn’t resist one more pun)? No worries! You can actually buy sloe drupes right throughout the year.
Sloe berries are available at a handful of Waitrose stores and online or you can buy them frozen from Ebay.
How to make sloe gin
Wash 500g of berries in a colander and throw away any bruised or rotten ones.
Prick the skin of each berry a few times with a fork and place them in a sterilized bottling jar.
Add 50cl of good quality London Dry Gin – we have a fantastic range here – then seal the jar and shake vigorously. Now stop shaking and give the jar a shake…
Now you need patience. Leave the jar in a dark place at room temperature for as long as you can manage, but at least eight weeks. Go back and give it a shake every few days.
Strain through a fine sieve and muslin into a sterilized mixing bowl then gradually add sugar syrup (one part water to two parts sugar) to taste.
At this stage you can add more gin if you think it needs it… careful now.
Bottle your scrumptious liqueur and leave it for as long as your patience allows again. At least four weeks and up to seven years, if you are that disciplined.
Enjoy it with tonic, ginger beer or in a cocktail. Yum!
Make sure you use a quality London Dry gin for your sloe gin. Get yours from our online store here or from our store at 133 High Street, North Berwick.
